Page 46 of Captive Bride

Tristan

There’s nothing but darkened shadows and dim lighting.

I walk into her room, but I don’t see her, and for a second I think maybe she’s escaped.

I have incoming guards to watch her room, but they’re not here yet.

Our plan to capture the princess was so last minute that we didn’t have time to arrange everything. I knew to bring her here, away from the city, but everything else still needs to be put into place.

I walk through the space looking for her, and then I see the balcony doors open. I curse myself for giving her the freedom to go outside.

What was I thinking?

Death might be on the mind of my princess, or maybe she was dumb enough to try to escape down the ivy.

I realize my mistake too late as I run to the doors and don’t see her there.

Please god, tell me she didn’t fling herself over the edge, ending all of this drama.

Upon opening the doors wide open, I see my beautiful angel, standing in the rain at the side of the house and getting all wet. She’s totally drenched.

I wrap my arms around her and pull her inside.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I ask her. “You trying to kill yourself?”

“I don’t know, am I?” she says, looking at me with defiance in her eyes.

What did I expect? I’m keeping her here against her will. It’s her Montague prison.

“That was a stupid move, Isobel. You could’ve died,” I say, not knowing what to say or how to pull away and end the conversation.

I want to be with her. I want to finish what we’ve started.

She looks at me with rage all over her face and demeanor. “Yeah, so? What do you care if I die? You’ve been taking advantage of me since the moment we first met.”

She looks at me, daring me to say the truth. She knows it, and I know it.

We’re walking the faint line between lust and love. I knew from the moment I set eyes on her, shirking under the weight of the Governor’s arm, that she was mine.

This is love. It’s a lot more complicated than I ever would’ve thought. But it’s love all the same.

It’s something I never thought to feel, and yet here she is, shaking in my arms, cold from the chill of the rain.

How could she come so close to danger? Standing outside in the rain like that was a reckless move, and I intend to make her pay.

I pull her into my arms and hold her tightly despite the fact that she’s trying to get away from me. She’ll never get out of my grasp, that I know for sure.

“Don’t say that, Isobel. Don’t talk about death like that—like it’s such a small thing,” I say to her seriously.

“Then why, Tristan? Why did you have to kidnap me? And lie to me? You know I might’ve gone willingly.”

I retort, “No, Isobel. You ran away from me. What else was I supposed to do? Let you go to the arms of the Governor forever?”

She pulls back away from me, and I let her go. She looks sad.

She’s still wearing my suit jacket, as well as her silk robe and white lingerie. But all of it is soaked through.

She takes the jacket off. I watch her closely, admiring every curve of her beautiful body.

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